The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-01-20

-nCh facilities and -a'cGudfe7 ~ wa 7'.i4' .,
remittance ana prompt deposits IN the treasury 10
we the government IL M remppfay e;nhtr'ds7-
ment. , ,,,..r,r
Ter Of public icrDunt7, l. respectfully ttil'u !"
yuur attention, furnishing as 1t does Ia.Gahe ~
formation anG suggestions a. 10 the tuuuc!al c"."l
tiun Of the state, hId the prOprety OF lhaEi"G w
tail changes IN the laws regulating our hhAhCld.
management From this report ii appears una;
Tor the wear ending August 81 'eo1 tue receipts "
public money from the usual and ordinary sources
Of enue we're Sl,G,3,9Ss22, while the sNPgha.'
lures for the same period were Sl,9!'i1ol SNOW
ipr a dehcit for that year of S3uo,33 % . MS ue-
felt was fully covered, as IL shown by SAID report,
| by the balance on hand at tue beginning OF saIu
year which amounted to Sl4b,-!S.*b, ana ~
the sale of bonds and loans to the state OF sueca
funds in the treasury gggre eating the further sun
OF g2i 3G II, for the year ending August 81, POO
Il total receipts from ordinary sources OF revenue
amounted to the sum of - III, 81 ~, while the eA
Ucndurcs amounted 20 the sum of 81 ,Gb5ilO i,ahu
the cash balance remaining on hand in the treasury
| at the commencement Of the present fiscal year,
September ], 1856, was SJb3, 1884, In THIS cohhec
tiOr your attention IL called 10 the amount OF dell
cencies for which appropriations are nece ssaTy
The late comptroller Is Of the opinion tnat the
present rate Of taxation VIII not only ne suiven'
to defray the expenses of the government ecUAoH
| iCally administered, but provide moderate su!
| plus for any rea sOnable emergency. Ana IN tNls
opinion concur. There are certain extraordinary
expenditures hereinafter referred to and discussed,
which, IN my judgment, have become essehtlol'
and the limited Surplus ofreyenue indicated by these
! figures should adm1nlsh Us 70 prudent husOihu-
! ~ of our resources, If Ne would escape future
| financial embarrassment.
PaNITESTiARrEs.
The proper disposition Of the conyicts in our
state is justly l. gaIded a question OF paramount
| importance 10 the general welfare sending pety
thieves to the pcuitentaTas has overCrowdrd these
institutions without apparently lessening the ire
uuency of crime and Seuding them 10 the county
| jlil5 only encourages them in ibiene5s and IN
pos the costs of their maintensnoe on the phOlic
! without the possibility of improving their morals
| or working their reformation. Under eN!sunS
! laws Jail expenses are hanSuptiug some OF the
! counties of the state.
In dealing with this question, it will be observed
by a reference to the report of the superintendent
| that there are now on hand - Conyirts, and the
| number Is being augmented al a rapid ratio. Our
present eel! accommodations viii not provide Tor
more than l6 ., and this number, it Is alleged can
| not find employment in the walls 50 as to render
! them sef.supportlng.
1t is suggested by the financial agent that an ap-
preparation Of $1,000 a, in aidttiUn 10 the aPprO-
pria;iuu already made Is a .yessaTy to provide suit
able maehll, machinery, et', for the more sue
| GEES nj development Of our prison Industries AZ
| Huntsville. While it is further shown that the
iron industries at Rusk, upon which the labor utl
lied there il entirely dependant, will require an
additional appropriation. The output of the fur
mace is from twenty-five TO thirty tons of pig iron
| per day, but OWN to the existing freight rates,
this product cannot reach market beyond the nm
It's Of the state. Ii is probable that the products Oh
| the furnace for one month would be adequate to
| supply the demand OF Texas markets with pig iron
| for OnS year
The contract for supplying the iron work for our
new capitol has created temporary demand,
| which wlIl soon ne at an end ana after this work
| is completed, probably one-halt of the capa-
city of the furnace can he utilized in tine manutac
ture of water ard gas pipe, sale of which, at re-
muneratiye prices, may be made
To keep this iron furnace in constant operation
for ten months in the year will require the inau
guratiun of some new enterprises demanding ad
dtiunal appropriations. TO supply the necessary
coal has already consumed the timber OF l,lJ0
acres in one year and the timber supply owned by
the state for THIS purpose Will ne
or less time. This coal is now transported dis
lance of fourteen miles, and the timber land &C
ce- sibie at that distance is approaching in value
prudent business foresight would theIet. re
= EN- to dictate the immediate purchase of timber
land sufficient to supply the demand for at least
four or five years.
The reports above referred to further state that
l,3i1 conyics are engaged in various employments
outside of the walls under contracts soon to eN-
pire. This additional force will then be thrown
upon the state without the prospect of remuner-
alive employment at indoor work. From the eN-
hibit of the financial agent find that the average
cost per capita for the maintenance of convicts Is
Sle.5O per month. To keep these 1877 conyicts in
the walls rs we are now situated, would therefore
cost the state annually S232, I2l.
We are also informed by the superintendent that
to build and properly equip prisons, shops, etc,
for the employment of couvlcts at indoor work,
of S1ju per CAPITA aggregate Of 3 3S 25h ZOE
the accommodation of this number in the walls.
1t may be said that the necessary prisons can be
built hy Cunyi,t labor, which would measUrably re-
duCe the cost of their construction. Bat on the
other hand, with the lights before us, we cannot
lose sight of the fact that, at present rate OF u
crease in our PRISON population, ~ the lme these
prisons were constructed and furnished Tor the
successful employment of those now to he pro
yided for, the demand would be created Tor atdl
tional ones.
III. 81.
attempt TO put into immediate practical operation
the muCh-desired object of combining all the con-
yicts inside the prison walls would inllict burden
upon the taxpayers too grieyous TO be borne.
Our various charitable institutions are urgently
demanding increased AUTHORIZATIONS to provide for
some twenty or more OF our heretofore most pros
porous counties have suffered from most dlsas-
irons droUth and TIE citizens thereof are IN alre
distress, and are not only una ie 10 meet the JUST
demands uUon them as taxpayers, but their untur
tunate condition appeals loudly for government IA!
aid in some shape, To secure them from absolute
starvation: audI know but voice the common
sentiment that this unfortunate people SHOULD have
some measure of consideration and relief, and
that they should not be permitted 10 suffer the
pangs of hunger and restitution by reason of fail
ares which no human pTecauuon could have
guarded aganss
We should by all means strive to keep the ap
preparations within the range of the amount OF
revenue derived from present rates OF taxation.
And desirable a. it Is To Cuntne all COnyiCts with
in the walls, We must deal with facts as they are
lot as we won have them. Convics should not
be Kept in dleness at the expense Of honest people,
bat should contribute by labor at leas; TO their
own support.
| would spectfully suggest that we foster and
encourage, as far practicable the industries al
ready established in our penitentiar'es, so as TO
make them selfsIppOrtiug, aud gradually, without
imposing too heavy burdens upon the people, es-
tah!Sh aud construct additional prisons with other
industries, until the state take of all prs
oners undergoing punishment. And as proper
inauguration Of this purpose an industrial school
for youthful criminals has become an urgent ne.
viii require considerable expenditure OF pubic
money IN addition 10 the annual current expenses
Of the government. such an institution would
Immediately relieve our prisons of some four hun
bred or more o; this class, and thereby make room
for the same numt er Of older COnycts
There seems to be some public demand that
shortterm COuNiCts should be placed az work on
the public roads under the supervision and direc-
ton OF the county authorities and at the expense
such counties for which the labor is per
formed
The constitution seems 70 sanction the expert
meut il II does not command II, and in following
its behess We may he able thereby rot only TO pro
but at the same time to solve
another difficulty tending 10 cause
pubic discomfort, 10 wit: the inequality of road
duty as imposed by present laws II might be
we'll, therefore. for Your honorable bodies to take
into consideration the adlsabiity Of making the
experiment. | can readily torsee some serious
difficulties in the practical execution Of tie system,
but its success would 90 far in furnishing solu
lion TO very serious public questions, which result,
or hope thereof, would fully justify the expert
ment.
In addition to this, if it be found that our insn